1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a presser foot device for a sewing machine moving a presser foot upward and downward and a sewing machine provided with the presser foot device.
2. Related Art
Conventional household sewing machines generally comprise a bed, a pillar and an arm. A sewing head is provided on a distal end of the arm. A presser bar is mounted on the head so as to be movable upward and downward. The presser bar has a lower end to which a presser foot is attached for pressing workpiece cloth on the bed. A presser foot device is further provided in the head and includes a presser foot lifting lever for lifting the presser foot upward and downward. The presser foot lifting lever is vertically swung by a user so that the presser foot is moved upward and downward together with the presser bar.
For example, Japanese patent application publication, JP-A-2002-66181 (hereinafter, “reference 1”), discloses a sewing machine in which a presser foot lifting lever is disposed in the head so as to protrude into a space surrounded by the bed, pillar and arm (hereinafter, “surrounded space”). Furthermore, Japanese patent application publication, JP-A-H08-57174 (hereinafter, “reference 2”), discloses a sewing machine in which a presser foot lifting lever is disposed on the rear of a head so as to protrude backward as viewed at the front of the sewing machine.
In the sewing machine of reference 1, the presser foot lifting lever is located so as to protrude into the surrounded space. Accordingly, the presser foot lifting lever has a good operability. However, user's hands tend to touch with the presser foot lifting lever when workpiece cloth is treated in the surrounded space during the sewing. Furthermore, when workpiece cloth is large, there is a possibility that the workpiece cloth may spread into the surrounded space thereby to be caught by the presser foot lifting lever. Thus, there is a problem that the presser foot lifting lever becomes a hindrance to the sewing.
On the other hand, the presser foot lifting lever is located in the rear of the head in the sewing machine of reference 2. As a result, the above-described problem encountered in reference 1 can be overcome by reference 2. However, the user necessitates putting his or her hand towards the rear of the sewing machine head in order to operate the presser foot lifting lever. As a result, there is a problem that the presser foot lifting lever has a bad operability.
Thus, it is desired to simultaneously overcome the defects both in the case where the presser foot lifting lever protrudes into the surrounded space and in the case where the presser foot lifting lever protrudes behind the head.